Hitter List 6/27: Ranking the Top 150 Hitters To Own ROS

[hitter_list list_id=”22562″ include_stats=”1″ season=”2018″]

Welcome back to Hitter List. Every Wednesday during the regular season, I’ll rank the current value of the top 150 hitters for the remainder of the year. Use these rankings to help get a sense of both a player’s expected performance and his trade value in your fantasy leagues moving forward.  They’re constructed with 12-teamer, H2H, 5×5 leagues in mind; adjust as needed for your specific setup. Position eligibility does factor in to a degree.

We’re at just about the halfway mark for the 2018 season, which means that adjustments to the List will become more aggressive than they’ve been previously. Rest assured that any rankings you vehemently disagree with were explicitly an attempt to insult you and/or your favorite player(s) personally. Seriously, before you work yourself into a rage in the comment section, understand that this is only one person’s opinion. I’m wrong a lot! Comes with the territory of doing this sort of thing.

On to the highlights!

• You’ll notice some significant movement for several players this week – since this endeavor is a zero-sum game, that has a cumulative effect on the ranks of others. In other words, a two- or three-spot swing is probably less reflective of that player than those around him.
• Injury roundup: The big blows since last week’s installment were Gary Sanchez, Lorenzo Cain, and Kris Bryant. Sanchez’s groin strain will keep him out of action until after the All-Star break, while Cain (strained groin, hamstring tightness, various other bumps and bruises) likely won’t require an extended stay on the disabled list. As for Bryant, he apparently hurt his shoulder on a slide about a month ago, which might explain his June swoon. He’s eligible to return early next week and there seems to be optimism he’ll be able to do so. Francisco Cervelli was placed on the 7-day concussion DL as well.
• Speaking of: Lots of movement for catchers this week, most of it downward. I’ve wrestled with how much weight to give positional scarcity pretty much all season, and finally came to the conclusion that I was overdoing it. So while Evan Gattis’ recent excellence has him moving up considerably, major corrections were due for Buster Posey, Willson Contreras, Salvador Perez, and Yasmani Grandal. None are performing well enough to justify their previous spots on the list, position eligibility be damned.
• Effectively throwing in the towel on a trio of second basemen I’d previously been stubborn about: Jonathan Schoop, Ian Happ, and Brian Dozier have been major disappointments, and the data doesn’t offer much reason for optimism. There’s still talent, track record, or both for all three guys, but with half the season in the books, it’s time for them to earn their keeps.
• With Domingo Santana demoted to the minors, the Brewers appear committed to playing Jesus Aguilar every day. The profile is fantastic; his previous rankings were more due to uncertainty around his playing time. With those concerns seemingly nullified, he’s this week’s biggest riser.
• New to or back on the List this week: Derek Dietrich, Ryon Healy, and Michael Taylor. Dietrich offers versatility (he’s eligible at four positions) and is swinging a hot bat over the past month (.396/.440/.670, six home runs). Healy’s season has been up and down, and we’re firmly in an up phase at the moment (.306/.358/.571, four homers in the past two weeks). Finally, Taylor has hit .355/.402/.500 and stolen 12 (!) bases in the last 30 days, which combined with the Nationals easing Adam Eaton back into action has kept Taylor in the lineup most days.
• Honorable Mentions: Jonathan Villar, Randal Grichuk, Kiké Hernandez, Kevin Kiermaier, and Manuel Margot.